There has been conventionally known a vehicle in which a shift range is switched in accordance with a result of detection by a shift position sensor detecting the position of a shift lever operated by a driver.
In regard to such a vehicle, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-289067 (PTD 1) describes that if it can be determined that the shift range is the N (neutral) range based on the result of detection by the shift position sensor, even at the time of occurrence of an abnormality that it cannot be determined that the shift range is the P (parking) range based on the result of detection by the shift position sensor, startup of the vehicle is permitted in the N range.